Fixing the bullpen was a Marlins priority. The results are showing. Breaking down the group
First-year general manager Kim Ng made the goal clear this offseason: The Miami Marlins had to improve their bullpen. No questions about it.
Two months into the 2021 season, the results are noticeable. Roles are defined. Players are producing.
And, after a shaky first week-and-a-half, the Marlins’ corps of relief pitchers has quietly become one of the best in Major League Baseball.
The proof?
Heading into Monday, Marlins relievers are giving up the fewest walks per nine innings (2.58), are second in strikeout-per-walk ratio (3.39, behind only the Chicago White Sox’s 3.45) and have the seventh-best ERA (3.54).
Manager Don Mattingly has confidence in all nine of his primary relief pitchers, giving him quantity in addition to quality as he makes decisions once his starting pitchers leave the mound.
Here’s a closer look at each of the Marlins’ nine primary relievers and how they have fared through the first two months of the season.
High-leverage
Yimi Garcia
Role: Closer
Stats: 22 games, nine saves, 1.66 ERA, 23 strikeouts, five walks in 21 2/3 innings
Of note: Mattingly has always been high on Garcia, who he managed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014 and 2015 before taking over with the Marlins. Garcia, who primarily uses a 96 mph fastball and low-90s slider but also mixes in a curveball and changeup, ranks in the 75th percentile in chase rate (how often he gets a hitter to swing at a pitch outside the strike zone) and 69th percentile among qualified pitchers in strikeout rate.
Dylan Floro
Role: Setup
Stats: 24 games, one save, 2.95 ERA, 18 strikeouts, seven walks in 21 1/3 innings
Comment: All seven of Floro’s earned runs allowed came in two outings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and two walks at the Braves on April 15 and five earned runs on four hits and a walk on May 18 at the Phillies. Outside of those blips, Floro has been one of Miami’s most consistent relievers. He has allowed hard contact on just 27.9 percent of balls put in play — well below the league average of 35.3 percent.
Anthony Bass
Role: Setup
Stats: 22 games, 3.86 ERA, 15 strikeouts, seven walks in 18 2/3 innings
Comment: Bass’ stats are skewed by two shaky starts at the start of the season when he gave up six runs and blew a pair of saves. In the 19 appearances he has made since being taken out of the closer role, Bass has given up two earned runs on seven hits and six walks while striking out 13 over 16 1/3 innings — good for a 1.10 ERA.
‘Flexibility’ among bridge relievers
Beyond the high-leverage trio, the Marlins have used four main players as their middle-inning relievers: Right-handed pitchers Adam Cimber and John Curtiss as well as lefties Richard Bleier and Ross Detwiler.
All four fill similar roles: Keep the game in check, stop the bleeding or pitch long enough in a close game to get to the back-end pitchers.
The strength of this group?
“I think just the flexibility,” Cimber said. “We have a couple guys with roles, but at the same time, there’s a lot of guys that just go in and pitch when they’re told to pitch, guys that will eat up innings and be efficient for the most part.”
Richard Bleier
Stats: 22 games, 3.66 ERA, 18 strikeouts, zero walks in 19 2/3 innings
Comment: Bleier gave up a home run in four of his first eight appearances — all on the cutter — but has held opponents to just three earned runs with 14 strikeouts over his past 14 outings. Perhaps his biggest moment came in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 4. He entered a tie game with the bases loaded and no outs and struck out the side. Miami scored six runs in the home half of the inning to win 9-3.
Adam Cimber
Stats: 23 games, 3.28 ERA, 17 strikeouts, seven walks in 24 2/3 innings
Comment: Cimber is the Marlins’ change-of-pace reliever with his sidearm delivery. He has also given the team length, with five of his appearances spanning more than one inning.
John Curtiss
Stats: 19 games (one start), 3.68 ERA, 25 strikeouts, three walks in 22 innings
Comment: When Curtiss’ 10.23 strikeouts per nine innings is the third-best among Miami’s relievers and he didn’t allow a walk through his first 14 appearances. Six of his outings have also spanned more than one inning. His hard-hit rate, however, is among the worst in MLB.
Ross Detwiler
Stats: 20 games (two starts), 2.79 ERA, 24 strikeouts, 10 walks in 19 1/3 innings
Comment: Detwiler, a former starting pitcher, gives yet another option for length out of the bullpen and both his cutter and four-seam fastball have been effective this year, holding opponents to a .143 batting average with 18 of his 24 strikeouts coming on the two pitches.
Young guns
And then there are the two rookies who have flashed potential and velocity. They aren’t being used in high leverage situations yet but are trending toward potentially earning those roles in the future.
Anthony Bender
Stats: 10 games, 0.00 ERA, 11 strikeouts, one walk in 10 1/3 innings
Comment: Bender is the latest surprise find by the Marlins. He was playing independent ball during the COVID-19 pandemic last year and is now impressing in his first big-league stint. His sinker averages 96.8 mph and his slider has resulted in a 35.1 percent swing-and-miss rate.
Zach Pop
Stats: 15 games, 4.32 ERA, 20 strikeouts, six walks in 16 2/3 inning
Comment: The Marlins traded for Pop following the Rule 5 Draft knowing he would have to be on the active roster all season. The 24-year-old who is two years removed from Tommy John surgery has been steady, especially as of late. Pop, whose sinker averages 95.3 mph and slider has resulted in a 52.4 percent swing-and-miss rate, has given up just one earned run while striking out 18 over his last 11 appearances.
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